Rail-bond



1. A. FRAUENHEIIVI AND H. ETHERIDGE.

RAIL BOND. y

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1919.

1,377,246, Patented'may 10,1921.

INVENTORS 'uNrrED s'rArEs PATENT oEElcE.

JOSEPH A. ERAUENHEIM AND HABRY'ETHERIDGE, or ZELIENOPLE,PENNSYLVANLA,

ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN FLEXIBLE BOLT COMPANY, OFPITTSIBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATIONOF rIl?ENNSYL'V'ANIA.v

RAIL-BOND.

Application flied May 31, 1919. serial Np. 300,911.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH A. FRAUEN- HEIM and HARRY ETHERIDGE, both citizens of the United States, and both residing at Zelienople, kin the county of Butler and State ofl Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Bonds, `of which the followin is a full, clear, and eX- act description, reflsrence being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part vof this specification in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a rail bond embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fi 2, and

4 i gs. 4, 5, and 6 are sections taken respectively on the lines IV-IV, V-V and VI-VI of Fig. 1. f

Our invention has relation to rail bonds and is designed to provide a. durable and veflicient bond. c

Rail bonds heretofore generally used are formed of copper.r If such bonds `are made of suilicient length to span the joint and attach to the rails at a proper distance from their joint ends to secure the necessary amount of flexibility, the cost of the bond is not only very large,`but jthe bondsare likely to be cut away and stolen for the value of the copper which they contain. In many cases, therefore, resort is had to the use of a short bondwhich can be concealed by the joint plates. Such bonds are not O f sulncient Vlength to afford the necessary flexibility to take care not Vonly of the eXpansion and contraction of the rails, but also to the vertical undulations ofthe same under passing loads. The result is that they soon begin to give away and rapidly 1deteriorate, making l rebonding necessary. At

' best the bonds Yheretofore "used are very flimsy unsubstantial devices when compared with the track structures to which they are applied..y j

Our invention provides a rail bond which isv designed to be constructed of .cheaper metal, such as soft iron, and which can therefore be of a proper length yWithout un- -duly increasing the cost vand'danger of the bonds'being removedfor 'theirfvalue v The use of metal of this character, ofcourse, re-

quires a considerable increase in the crosssection of the bond in order ytogiveV it the required conductivity. This, however, enables us to employ a bond which is of strong and serviceable character. In the use of such bond it is necessary to provide special means for increasing the flexibility of the bond. "Our invention provides for this by a construction such that the bond will have a maximum flexibility in a substantially hori- Zo'ntal direction at its central portion suilicient to amply take care of the expansion Specification of Letters Patent. Patented :play 170, 1921 and contraction movement of the rails;

while its end portions adjacent to the rails have a maximum flexibility in substantially vertical` directions, Vthereby enabling kthe bond to take care of the vertical' undulations of the rails without'injury or deterioration.

Nothwithstanding the flexibility of these end portions, the construction is suchV as to give them sufficient rigidity in a longitudinal direction to properly transmit the endwise movement of the'rails to the flexible central portion ofthe bond. 'The construction and operation of such bondis, therefore, distinctly different from that of the usual cable or twisted strand bonds in which an attempt has been made to secure flexibility. In such bonds the characterand flexibility is likely to result in an early and progressive failure of the cross-sectionl of the bond at the point where 'the strains are localized, this deterioration andfailure'being both with respect to strength andconductivity.

` The nature of our invention will be further understood by reference to the accom- `'panying drawing in which we have shown a preferred embodiment thereof and which will now be described, vit being premised, however,`tha t theV particular form of bond is illustrative only and that the invention Smaybe embodied in various other specic constructions without departing from the spirit and scope 0f our invention as defined in the appended claims.

In this drawing the numeral Q'designates two 'railsections united by lthe'usualjoint or fish plates 3.' The specific formy of bond hereillust'ra'ted consists of la rod of substantially circularcross section which is formed'by placing together twohalf round sections 4 and y5 and imparting la twist thereto. The ends of the bonds are rmly welded to the base flange of the rails at the points 6. The bond may be of any desired length, but preferably sufficient to more than span the joint plates, and to have a distinct outward bow away from the joint, as shown in Fig. 2. In the particular construction shown the two members 4 and 5 forming the bond are twisted by holding their end portions and twisting their central portions through approximately ninety degrees. The bond is so applied that the division, or plane of separation, between the two members l and 5 is in a substantially vertical direction; while the plane of division between its end portionsv adjacent to the rails is substantially horizontal. As will be readily understood, this permits relative movement between the parts and gives the composite bond a maximum degree of flexibility in a horizontal direction at its central portion, and a maximum degree of flexibility at its end portions in a substantially vertical direction. The central portion of the bond is therefore well adapted to take care of the expansion or contraction movements of the rails, lwhileits end portions will take care of the vertical undulations tothe rails, all without undue strain upon any portion of the bond.` At the same time the bond possesses sufficient rigidity in endwise direc tion to readily transmit the endwise movements of the rails to its central portion.

As above stated, we preferably formthis bond with some relatively cheap metal, soft iron being preferred. This necessarily gives the bond a considerably increased cross-section to that required when copper is einployed; but this is more than odset by the relative cheapness of the iron; by the fact that an iron bond of required cross-section is a much more permanent and substantial device; and by the fact that a bond can be made at an increased length without unduly increasing the cost of the bond or the temptation to its being stolen.

While a bond of circular cross-section is preferable from an economical standpoint, itl will be understood that this is not essential to our invention but that it may be of any desired shape or cross-section. The twist may also be formed in various ways. Thus, instead of holding the end portions of the bond and twisting its central portion through substantially 90 degrees, the central portion may be held and the ends twisted at substantially 180 degrees to each other. The twisting may also be carried to a considerably greater extent, provided, that the planes of separation between the members are properly disposed at the central and end portions thereof, and that the twists are not too abrupt particularly at the points where maximum flexibility is required.

V From the foregoing, it will be seen that our invention provides a rail bond which is 4 constructed with special reference to the nature of the stresses to which such a device is subjected and which is designed to givethe required flexibility at the desired points without unduly increasing the iexibility of the bond as a whole. This results in a bond which has a longer life and a higher maintained conductivity than has heretofore been possible. j

lf desired, our improved bonds may be provided with any suitable protective coating, such as a coating of copper.

Vile claim:

l. A rail bond having its maximum liexibility in a substantially horizontal direction at its central portion, and its maximum flexibility in a substantially vertical direction at its end portions when in bonding position, said flexibility changing gradually throughout the portions of the bond intermediate the central portion and the end por tions, substantially as described.

2. A rail bond having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area composed oftwo separate sections twisted upon each other, with the plane of division between the sections in a substantially vertical direction at its central portion of the bond and in a substantially horizontal direction at its end portions, substantially as described.

3. A rail bond composed of two coperating semi-circular separate sections twisted upon eachr other, with the plane of division between the sections lin a substantially vertical direction at its central portion of the bond and in a substantially horizontal direction at its end portions, substantially as described.

il. A rail bond comprising two contacting half round sections twisted in a manner to bring the plane of the joint between them in a vertical direction at the center of the bond and in a horizontal direction at its end portions, substantially as described.

5. A rail bond composed of a plurality of sections twisted upon each other, the twists at the central portion of the bond being disposed to impart a maximum flexibility in one direction and the twists at the end por tions of the bond being disposed to give maximum flexibility in a direction substantially at angles to the first named direction, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a rail joint, of a bond extending around the joint and secured to the rails beyond the joint, said bond having its effective bending resisting properties varied gradually vthroughout dilferent portions'of the length thereof to provide maximumflexibility in a horizontal direction at its central portion and maximum flexibility in a vertical direction at its end portions adjacent to the rails, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a rail joint, of a bond extending around said joint and having its ends secured to the rails at points beyond the joints, said bond comprising two sections or members twisted upon each other with the plane of division imparting a maximum flexibility of' the bond in a horizontal direction at its central portion, and a maximum flexibility at its end portions adjacent to the rails in a vertical direction, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a rail joint, of a bond extending around said joint and having its ends secured to the rails at points beyond the joints, said bond comprising two sections or members twisted upon each other in a manner to impart a maximum flexibility of the bond in a horizontal direction at its central portion, and a maximuml flexibility at its end portions adjacent to the rails in a vertical direction, said bond being bowed outwardly around the joint, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a rail joint, of a bond extending around `the joint, said bond having its ends welded to the base flange of the rail and its central portion bowed outwardly around said joint, the bond having a maximum flexibility in a generally horizontal direction at its centralportion, and a maximum flexibility in a generally vertical direction at its end portions, said flexibility varying gradually between the central portion and each of the end portions, substantially as described.

10. A sectional rail bond having its plane of division disposed to provide maximum flexibility in a substantially horizontal direction at its central portion and its maximum flexibility in a substantially vertical direction at its ends portions.

11. A flexible rail bond comprising a plurality of independent twisted sections cooperating throughout their lengths, said sections being twisted to locate the division plane in a substantially vertical direction adjacent the central portion of the bond, and in substantially horizontal directions adjacent the ends portions of the bond, substantially as described.

12. A rail bond composed of a plurality of sections twisted upon each other, the twists at the central portion being disposed with the plane of division imparting a maximum flexibility in one direction, and at the end portions with the plane of division imparting maximum flexibility in directions substantially at right angles to the first named direction, substantially as described.

13. A rail bond composed of separate sections twisted throughout their lengths upon each other, with the plane of division between the sectionsy in a substantially vertical direction at the central portion of the bond and in a substantially horizontal direction at the end portions thereof, substantially as described. n

14. A rail bond comprising a plurality of contacting sections gradually twisted throughout its length and having its maximum flexibility in a substantially horizontal direction at its central portion, and its maximum flexibility in a substantially vertical direction at its end portions, when in bonding position, said twisting being arranged to impart a gradually varying resistance intermediate the central portion and each end portion of the bond, substantially as described. Y

15. A flexible rail bond having its maximum bending resisting properties in a substantially vertical direction at its central portion, and its maximum bending resisting propertiesy in a substantially horizontal direction adjacent its end portions,'said bending resisting properties varying gradually intermediate the central portion and the end portions whereby bending strains are uniformly absorbed throughout the major portion of the length of the bond, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

JOSEPH A. FRAUENHEIM. H. ETHERIDGE. 

